Take A Look Inside The New Vikings Stadium
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Those leading the construction of the new Vikings stadium say they are right on schedule to have it open in 2016.
Construction on the new stadium began last December.
Since then, very few have been allowed in the site, but on Monday Mortenson Construction gave WCCO a tour to show the project's progress.
In just ten months, the Vikings stadium construction site has gone from a hole in the ground to a massive jungle gym of rebar, pylons and cranes.
Thirteen cranes sit inside the stadium bowl, including the second largest in the world, nicknamed "Philo."
"The two smaller red cranes down here are support cranes for putting together the steel," Dave Mansell, Mortenson's general superintendent, said. "The big yellow crane is to put it together."
Right now, crews are working until 1 a.m. to construct the "steel spine" of the stadium, which will be 1.7 million square feet when it's finished.
Lester Bagley, a Vikings public affairs executive, praised the construction crews' "amazing progress."
"How fast they're coming along and how great a job they're doing--it's very exciting," he said.
Fans are excited too: The Vikings have already sold 24,000 personal seat licenses for the 2016 season--a little more than half of those available.
"We have the stadium broken into zones," Bagley said. Depending on "where your seats were in the Metrodome, is where you'll get opportunity to buy seats in the new stadium."
The new stadium will also have six levels for fans, compared with the two levels at the Metrodome.
"Our seats and suites are going to be closer to the action than any in the league," Bagley said. "There's nothing like it in the NFL."
Construction is about 23 percent complete.
Whatever hardships the winter weather brings, work will continue and the field will be ready for football in 2016.
Crews will start construction on the glass part of the stadium next year.
For information on how to reserve a seat, you can visit the new stadium's website.
